(SportsNetwork.com) - It's early in the season, but the Milwaukee Brewers are
still looking to make a statement against the defending NL Central champion
St. Louis Cardinals.

The Brewers look to win their first series against the Cardinals since
September of 2012 as the rivals resume a three-game series on Tuesday night.

Milwaukee has not had much success against St. Louis, going winless in seven
straight series since taking two of three at Busch Stadium from Sept. 7-9,
2012. The Cardinals won 14 of the 19 meetings a season ago and won two of
three in Milwaukee from April 14-16 of this season.

However, it is the Brewers who own an early 5 1/2-game lead over the Cardinals
for first place in the division and gutted out a 5-3 victory in 12 innings in
last night's opener.

Milwaukee rallied for three runs in the seventh inning to tie the game, then
went ahead in the 12th on Khris Davis' RBI triple with one out. He scored an
insurance run on Mark Reynolds' sacrifice fly.

Six Milwaukee relievers hurled six scoreless innings, with Zach Duke pitching
two frames to get the win and Francisco Rodriguez working around a hit and a
walk in the bottom of the 12th to earn his 12th save. That extended his club
record for the most saves in the month of March/April.

"This win was huge," said Brewers manager Ron Roenicke. "It was a great win.
We'll do what we can tomorrow. We'll be a little short in the bullpen but
we'll be OK. Again, we got some big hits."

The Brewers also won for the eighth time in 10 games and their 19 victories
set a new franchise mark for the most in the month of March/April. The
previous record of 18 was set in 1987.

Milwaukee managed to win despite playing without Ryan Braun (strained chest
muscle) and Jean Segura, who is still recovering from a right cheek bruise and
swelling on his face after Braun hit him with a practice swing on Saturday.

It is unknown when either will return and Milwaukee also saw third baseman
Aramis Ramirez exit Monday's game early after getting hit by a pitch on the
left elbow in both the sixth and seventh innings.

Matt Holliday went 3-for-6 with a home run and two RBI and Allen Craig had a
solo homer in the setback, St. Louis' sixth in nine games.

Starter Michael Wacha was rolling until running into trouble in the seventh
frame, charged with three runs on eight hits with nine strikeouts in 6 1/3
innings.

"I thought (Wacha) looked pretty good," Matheny said. "We like his ability to
get out of tough spots when you have swing-and-miss stuff like he has."

While the Brewers are rolling at the onset of the season, Cardinals Lance Lynn
will try to do something tonight he has never had to do before in the majors
as a starter: bounce back from a loss in March or April.

Lynn was 12-0 in his career during the season's first two months before
suffering a 4-1 setback to the New York Mets on Thursday. He allowed three
runs -- two earned -- on four hits and two walks over 6 1/3 frames with nine
strikeouts.

The 26-year-old righty had his season-opening four-start win streak snapped,
though he has struck out 36 over 30 innings while pitching to a 3.30 earned
run average.

Lynn beat the Brewers in Milwaukee on April 14, when he logged seven scoreless
innings of three-hit ball with 11 strikeouts. He is 2-0 with a 0.47 ERA in his
last three against Milwaukee, fanning 28 and giving up just one run and 12
hits in 19 1/3 innings.

Former St. Louis hurler Kyle Lohse counters for the Brewers and is 3-5 with a
3.99 ERA in nine previous meetings with the Cardinals, who he pitched with
from 2008-12 before signing with Milwaukee last season.

Lohse, 35, has won four straight starts and has not been charged with more
than one earned run in any of his last three outings.

The righty is coming off a 5-2 triumph over San Diego on Wednesday as he gave
up two runs -- one earned -- on five hits over seven innings and did not walk
a batter. That improved him to 4-1 with a 2.38 ERA in five starts on the
season.